


To Win Your Heart (On and Off the Court)

by theauthorish



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Dorks in Love, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 04:42:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18461711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthorish/pseuds/theauthorish
Summary: Yuu doesn't do things in half-measures. Either he gives it 0% or 100%-- that’s just the way of things.Which is why he has a whole plan for this-- courting Watari.





	To Win Your Heart (On and Off the Court)

**Author's Note:**

> For cheetahs1021 on tumblr, i hope you liked this!!! Thank you so much for the request! I had a lot of fun writing it. Thanks also to karasunovolleygays for the advice on keeping this within word count!

At some point or other during Yuu’s last year on the team, Aoba Johsai asks for a practice game. The new captains arrange the whole thing, and it isn't long before the Seijoh team is lined up across them in Karasuno’s gym, bowing and thanking them for the game. Karasuno echoes the greeting.

 

He glances towards Seijoh-- in particular, to their libero. Yuu’s always had a pretty intense competitive streak, and this guy looks like he’s in great shape today too. He’s always been pretty tough to shake; Yuu’s been meaning to ask him for tips and such, especially for tossing, since he was the inspiration for it, but he’s never had the chance…

 

An elbow to his gut cuts off his train of thought.

 

“Ryuu!” he hisses, attempting to kick the spiker and failing as he dodges out of the way. “What was that for!”

 

Tanaka quirks up a brow. “You were getting pretty intense with the staring, you know.”

 

Yuu blinks. Was he?

 

On the other end of the court, Watari raises his gaze, and they make eye contact. Watari seems a bit shocked at the attention, but after a moment’s pause, smiles brightly and waves.

 

Yuu feels his face burn. He waves back.

 

“Oh? Oh???” Tanaka’s head flicks back and forth between the two liberos.

 

“Shut it,” Yuu snaps, biting back an instinctive grin at the teasing in Tanaka’s voice.

 

“Oi!” Ukai yells, tossing a volleyball their way that Yuu dives to receive on instinct, despite them not even being on the main court. “Quit slacking!”

 

Tanaka jerks, running off to rejoin the team. “Coming!”

 

Yuu takes a swig from his water bottle, eyes never leaving Watari’s perfect form. “Right,” he says, softly, and then he sets down his jug and yells, chasing after Tanaka.

 

They’re going to win this.

 

/////

 

They don’t win it. Seijoh wins by a hair’s breadth, mostly thanks to their new ace-- last year’s mad dog, tamed and part of the pack is a force to contend with.

 

Or so the others say. Yuu thinks it was mostly Watari’s doing.

 

“Actually,” Watari himself says, as Yuu and Tanaka bicker on behalf of their counterparts. “It was a team effort. Every point won or lost is the team’s, not just one person’s.”

 

“Watari!” Yuu cheers. 

 

Tanaka nods. “That's pretty smart.”

 

“Isn’t it?” Watari smiles. “Oikawa could get pretty weird off the court--” he smirks knowingly as Tanaka and Yuu both sputter into fits of laughter-- “but on it, he was pretty great. Helped us really become a close team.”

 

Tanaka nods. “We can see that,” he chuckles, turning to face where most of the Seijoh team is gathered around Kyoutani, heckling him and ignoring his growled out threats.

 

Watari snickers. “Yeah, well. Kyoutani isn’t as bad as we thought. He’s kind of an oversized puppy.”

 

“Speaking of that guy, I should go talk to him,” Tanaka says. He looks pointedly at Yuu, the kind of glance that usually means stay put. What the-- Tanaka’s eyes flicker briefly to Watari. Oh. Okay, yeah. 

 

Tanaka’s a really great bro.

 

“Eh? About what, Ryuu?” Yuu asks, playing along.

 

“I want to challenge him to an eventual rematch, us two. I’ve gotta get back at him for today.”

 

Watari’s eyebrow rises. “Aren’t you guys even after last Spring?”

 

“Even isn’t me winning!” Tanaka huffs, marching off to… where Yahaba and Kyoutani are wrestling on the floor. Yuu yells some random encouragement, and then turns to Watari.

 

“Hey, Watari,” he starts, because Yuu doesn't know how to hesitate, doesn't know anything but jumping in headfirst.

 

“Yeah?” Watari’s smile is friendly and welcoming, sunny and positively  _ cute _ . “What is it?”

 

Yuu brightens up, trying his best to ooze coolness and all the good stuff that might convince Watari to say yes. “Do you wanna go on a date with me?”

 

Watari blinks. “I-- Really?”

 

Not… the reaction Yuu had hoped for, but it doesn't seem like a rejection… “Yeah!” he says, widening his grin to emphasize his point.

 

Watari’s expression smooths. “Huh. I would have thought you were too busy being hung up on that pretty manager of yours to go dating other people. Especially a guy like me.”

 

“But you’re a great guy!” Yuu protests.

 

Watari sniggers softly. “That wasn’t what I meant,” he says. 

 

_ Oh.  _

 

“Well… I’m bi, so it isn't like the guy thing is a problem. And as for Shimizu… I mean she’s a goddess, but! You never really expect to get her, you know? It’s enough to admire her from afar.” He nods deeply at his own wisdom.

 

“Uh… huh,” Watari says, brow furrowed in mild puzzlement, but lips curling in an amused smile all the same. He crosses his arms. “So you’re not hung up on her at all?”

 

His voice is less skeptical than it is teasing, and Yuu’s always loved a challenge, so… Yuu only beams wider, standing up straight and cocking his head slightly. He jabs a thumb towards himself. “Nope. And I’ll prove it. I’ll woo you better than anyone’s wooed you before!” he promises.

 

… Maybe a little too loudly, if Tanaka’s hollering, Hinata’s excited chirping, and the general noise from both teams is anything to go by. 

 

Yuu can’t regret it though, not when the attention coaxes a light blush from Watari, along with an almost soft smile. “I look forward to it then,” says Watari, and then Yahaba claps his hands, herds the team out the door and onto their bus.

 

Yuu is absolutely going to do whatever he needs to win Watari’s heart.

 

/////

 

Yuu doesn't do things in half-measures. Either he gives it 0% or 100%-- that’s just the way of things.

 

Which is why he has a whole plan for this-- courting Watari.

 

Step one: flowers!

 

He shows up to Seijoh one day-- he’d bugged Ennoshita until the captain gave in and let him have Yahaba’s number, and the Seijoh captain had promised Watari was still there, so…

 

Here Yuu is, holding a bright bouquet for Watari. 

 

And… there Watari is, walking beside a bickering Kyoutani and Yahaba, hands in his pockets, smirking slightly.

 

He looks… well. Yuu’s never seen him in his actual uniform before, and Yuu isn’t sure he was ready for it. Watari’s got his blazer neatly folded over one arm, sleeves rolled up halfway to bare his forearms to the sun, and the his tie is tugged loose--

 

Yuu swallows hard and bounds up to them before he can think about it anymore. “Watari!!!” he calls.

 

Watari jumps, turning to him with wide eyes.

 

“These are for you!” Yuu declares, grinning as he holds out the flowers. “I don’t… actually remember all the meanings or which is which, sorry,” Yuu apologizes, quickly. “But! I did choose them all carefully! One of these means ‘trust me’, and another of them means--”

 

Watari has gone a  _ ridiculous  _ shade of red, and Yuu thought it was just the sun casting weird shadows, but… no, he’s actually that red. Is he sick?

 

“Hey, are you--”

 

Yahaba sighs, smiling gently. He moves to take the outstretched bouquet from Yuu, and Yuu lets him. “He’s fine. Just feeling a little off-- not sick or anything, but we should get him home just in case.”

 

“R-right,” Watari stammers. “Thanks for the-- the flowers though, Noya.” He manages a small grin. “They’re really nice.”

 

Yuu beams. “You’re welcome!”

 

And then they’re gone.

 

/////

 

Step two: letters!

 

It’s hard to court someone from a different school, but Yuu isn’t going to let something as measly as  _ distance  _ stop him.

 

He handwrites a long rambling letter that largely… ends up being about volleyball, if he’s really honest-- but he can’t help it! Volleyball is his greatest love in life right now, it only makes sense that anything that could make his heart flip would have to be similar.

 

He says Watari makes him feel the same way as a perfect receive does; he’s sure Watari knows the feeling, but he describes it anyway. The thrill, the rapid thrum of his blood in his veins saying  _ this is it _ \--

 

There’s the joy, the narrowing down of the world to just you, the ball, the ricochet of it off your arms.

 

There’s the hope that someone else will pick it up and take it where it needs to go.

 

He wants Watari to take up this heart of Yuu’s and… well, honestly, whatever he wants, but Yuu hopes that Watari wants something like what he does-- dates and laced fingers and all that sappy stuff.

 

He gets Ennoshita to give it to Yahaba to give to Watari.

 

Watari himself doesn't respond, but Yahaba does tell Yuu he got it.

 

He tells Yahaba that if it’s bothering Watari after all, he can stop, but Yahaba tells him that isn’t the case at all. Yuu worries, but he lets it go.

 

Yahaba does care about Watari, after all. He would stop Yuu if he had to.

 

/////

 

Yuu shows up again at Aoba Johsai a few days later, bearing chocolates he made himself (with some help from the other second years).

 

He grins as Watari comes into view. “Watari!!!!!” He cheers, putting extra  _ cheer _ into it just because it seems right.

 

Watari doesn't seem surprised to see him there, so Yuu assumes Yahaba warned him-- which, okay, kinda sucks because he’d wanted it to be a surprise, but--

 

Watari latches onto his wrist with one hand and starts dragging him forward. Thank gods Yuu’s got great reflexes, because though the box of treats nearly slips from his hands, it doesn't fall, or spill either. “Whoa! Where are we going?”

 

“Clubroom,” Watari says. He’s walking in front of him, and Yuu would bound ahead to see his face and keep talking, except he doesn't know where he’s going-- he hasn't been here often enough to remember the lay of the place.

 

“Oh, okay. How come?”

 

“Nothing, I just… you draw a lot of attention.” Watari’s steps slow to a stop.

 

Yuu blinks. Blinks again. “Oh,” he says, because now that he thinks of it, he probably does. He’s loud, he bounces everywhere. He doesn't mind it-- if anything, he likes the attention.

 

But it occurs to him that maybe Watari doesn't share the sentiment.

 

“Does that bother you? Have I been upsetting you?” Yuu asks, frowning. “I didn't mean to!!!” He lurches forward in a bow. “Sorry!”

 

Watari startles, head flicking side to side to see if anyone's staring-- no one is, mostly because the area is largely empty but for them both.

 

“That’s-- that’s not… okay, a little,” Watari admits, running a hand over his head. “It's not like I want you to stop though!”

 

Original plan forgotten, apparently, Watari just keeps going. “It's just… you’re so…” He makes a gesture with his hand, like he’s imitating the burst of fireworks. “Big. Bright.  _ You _ . And I’m just… me.” He shrugs, blushing a little as he averts his gaze. “I’m not used to having someone's attention like this. Especially not from someone like you.”

 

Yuu frowns. “But why not? You’re amazing!!! You must have like. A million people lining up to win your heart!”

 

Watari snorts. “No. Not really. I’ve had a few confessions here and there, but nothing like Oikawa or Yahaba, or even Iwaizumi. And definitely no one’s done anything for me like you have.”

 

“Oh.”

 

Watari sighs. “Sorry. I kinda skipped the point. I guess I just wanted to say I kinda… I don’t really know how to handle all the big, public gestures?” He shrugs. “I know you said you’d woo me and all, but for some reason I didn't think you meant it-- dumb, I know. You seem like the type to never say things you don’t mean.”

 

Yuu only grins. “Of course I meant it! But… I can stop making it so flashy if you want.” His smile softens, and he holds out the little box of chocolates. “I… tada! I was gonna. Uh. Give this to you and say a ton of puns about how sweet you are, but. I can just.” He holds them out a little further. 

 

Watari gapes down at the chocolates like he’s just noticing them, and takes the box gently. “Did you make these?”

 

“Yeah!” Yuu bounces on the balls of his feet. “Ennoshita and the other helped, but I made them! For you! Because! Sweet people! Deserve sweets!”

 

That earns Yuu a groan, but it's the laughing kind, so Yuu doesn't mind. He snickers too. “That was so bad,” Watari insists, though he looks happy, cheeks flushed, eyes crinkling, the sun playing with his lashes and his gray eyes, making them shine so prettily…

 

“Hey, Watari,” Yuu says.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Do you want to go on a date with me?”

 

Watari beams. “Okay.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr and twitter @theauthorish


End file.
